Alpha

by Brenda Trim

  When they reached the end of the hall, they found three females eating lunch in the break room. Lawson demanded they empty their pockets and confiscated their cell phones before locking them in the storage closet. They cooperated without hassle, so he let them take their food, promising someone would release them soon.

  As soon as he felt the building was secure, he led Devin to the holding cells, and the area where he was kept a prisoner for three years. He swiped the access card and the heavy door unlocked. The pungent clinical scent seeped inside his facemask, and Lawson fought the urge to gag. It was a smell that signified torture and abuse and awoke the buried memories deep inside his mind.

  The first cell they entered was unoccupied. Lawson scanned the small room. It looked exactly like the shithole where he was held captive. An old, stained mattress was thrown on the floor. It had no sheets, blankets, or pillows. Above the bed, a heavy chain was anchored to the cement wall, and at the end of the chain were two large metal cuffs.

  Lawson’s heart galloped in his chest, and sweat beaded his brow. He tugged the mask over his head, trying to catch his breath. He felt like he was going to suffocate if he didn’t get some fresh air. Was this a panic attack? He’d never had one, but his lungs felt like they were depleted of oxygen. His breaths turned to pants, and he felt like he was losing control. A sudden pain erupted in his chest, and he leaned over and grabbed his knees. He needed to get his shit together, or the Ravin inside might take advantage of his weakened state.

  “Hey, you alright?” Devin asked, but Lawson couldn’t answer. He waved him off as he tried to slow his breathing.

  Lawson remembered reading about panic attacks and the recommended tips. One, look around. Find items you can see, touch, hear, smell, and taste. It was a way of grounding himself. There weren’t many items to focus on in the empty room, so he looked at Devin and began mentally categorizing everything from his boots all the way to his mask. It seemed to calm his erratic heart, and Lawson found he could concentrate and breathe again.

  “I think I’m good. I had no idea seeing one of these rooms would push me over the edge. Guess this place fucked me up worse than I realized,” Lawson admitted as he stood and exited the cell.

  They did a quick scan of the remaining rooms. Every cell they checked was empty. Not one single shifter or indication someone was detained in the cells.

  “You think we wasted our time?” Devin asked as he turned in circles, looking at the empty room.

  “We’re not done yet. There’s one more area to check,” Lawson said and led the way to the very end of the hallway.

  Seeing the steel door was another punch to Lawson’s gut. On the other side of the door was where he found his dead father. After his panic attack in the first cell, Lawson didn’t know if he could go through with it. He’d been inside several facilities over the past months, and not once did he freak out, but being in the place that held such dreadful memories was all-consuming. But then he remembered Annette’s pitiful face as she talked about her sons. Not knowing if they were alive or dead. No, he couldn’t leave without checking this last room.

  Lawson steeled his nerves then swiped the access card. A buzz was followed by a click, and he pushed the door open and stepped inside the vile laboratory.

  The stench of death immediately filled his nostrils. He heard Devin gag several times and Lawson covered his nose with his arm, trying to minimize the scent of decay. At first, he didn’t see anything except medical equipment and empty tables, but then he spotted two figures at the far end of the room.

  Lawson rushed down the aisle and turned, then suddenly halted. There, on the floor, was a pile of dead wolves. Shifters.

  Bile rose in his throat, and Lawson choked on the nauseating smell as his heart shattered into a million pieces. The humans in charge of this facility didn’t have a single ounce of compassion or care for other living beings.

  The sound of gagging intruded, and he turned to see Devin vomit on the floor. The male spent several months imprisoned before Lawson and Ryan rescued him from another lab. The truth was, they were both victims of this abuse, and knew it could easily have been them lying on top of the pile.

  Lawson maneuvered around the large heap and hurried to the two tables. As he got closer, he could see it was two males strapped to the tables. They had tubes inserted in their arms, draining blood from their bodies. He prayed it wasn’t too late.

  The second he reached the first victim he recognized the male. Blade Packard. He glanced to the second, and his suspicion was confirmed. Slate. They were pale and motionless, and Lawson feared they were dead. He pressed a finger to Blade’s neck, checking for a pulse.

  “Is he alive?” Devin muttered.

  Lawson sighed his relief when he felt the faint thump. “Yeah, but barely. We need to get them the hell out of here before the guards return. Think you can carry him, and I’ll get Blade?” Lawson asked as he ripped the tube from the male’s arm.

  Blood immediately pooled but he didn’t have time to deal with that right now. He had a few supplies in the van that would stop the bleeding.

  “Yep. What about the others?” Devin asked as he glanced at the dead wolves.

  “We don’t have time. We’ll have to leave them. Get a head count, and we’ll pay tribute to their lives,” Lawson replied and swallowed the emotion clogging his throat.

  He wished he knew the names so he could contact families. He hated leaving them but there were too many, and he and Devin were on borrowed time. Without another word, Devin walked over to Slate and yanked the hose from the male’s arm then lifted Slate off the table, throwing him over his shoulder.

  Lawson was impressed. Devin wasn’t a big male, but that didn’t diminish his strength. Lawson pulled his mask over his head then lifted Blade, balancing him over his shoulder. He grabbed his gun off the table, and the two rushed from the room.

  Lawson and Devin were slowed by their heavy burdens but managed to get to the main hall of the building with no interference. Hope surged when the exit came into view, and Lawson picked up his pace.

  Suddenly, the door swung wide, and two females walked through the door. They were wearing lab coats, so he presumed they were staff. When one of the females spotted the security guard, she screamed.

  Lawson raised his gun to toward the ceiling and fired two shots, grabbing the females’ attention. “Get on the ground now,” he ordered, and the two immediately dropped to the floor.

  Lawson rushed toward them, gun pointed at their heads. He didn’t want to shoot, but he refused to let two humans stop them from leaving. He contemplated tieing them up but decided that would waste too much time. By the time they called the police, he and Devin would be long gone. He doubted the authorities would be involved because they would have to explain the pile of dead wolves on the premises.

  He and Devin barreled out the front door and dashed across the lot to the van and Jeep. Lawson scanned the parking area but didn’t see anyone. They opened the side door and carefully laid Blade and Slate in the van. Lawson grabbed his duffel bag and retrieved gauze and medical tape. He folded the fabric and placed it over the holes in their arms then wrapped medical tape to hold the bandage in place and add needed pressure. That would at least stop the bleeding.

  “Are we taking them to Safe Haven?” Devin asked as he made his way to the driver door.

  “No. Follow me,” Lawson replied as he slammed the van door shut.

  He was taking the males home.

  Liv turned down the dirt road, praying this was the right one. She had already taken two wrong turns, and gotten lost, trying to find her way back to the Packard’s cabin. Their location was so remote, even GPS didn’t acknowledge it.

  She exhaled when the small cabin came into view. Her Jeep was parked beside a van she recognized, and there was another truck beside the van. She parked her mom’s car and got out then trekked to the cabin.

  She knocked, but no one answered. She turned the handle and slowly opened the fron
t door then stuck her head inside. “Hello,” she called out.

  “Back here, Liv,” she heard Lawson reply.

  She closed the door and made her way down the hallway where the bedrooms were located. When she reached the first room, she spotted Lawson leaning against the wall. He looked up and met her gaze. “Hey, babe,” he said and reached for her hand.

  Liv hurried to his side and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close. “Hi. How are you?”

  He squeezed her so tight the air rushed from her lungs. “Better now that you’re here,” he whispered in her ear then kissed her cheek.

  Liv glanced around the room. Devin was leaning against the opposite wall, his eyes fixed on the bed. Annette was sitting on the mattress, holding the hand of one of her sons and Henry was standing beside her, rubbing her shoulders.

  Their other son was lying beside his brother on the bed. They weren’t awake, but Liv could see their chests rising with each breath, so she knew they were alive.

  “Shouldn’t they be taken to a hospital?” she muttered, and Lawson took her hand.

  “Let’s talk outside,” he suggested before he turned and left the room.

  Once outside, he tugged her to his chest then leaned down, pressing a tender kiss to her lips. “Thank you for coming. Where’s Cassie?”

  “I took her home earlier. She said she needed to get some work done. Personally, I think she needed to be alone for a while. This whole thing with Ryan has her all messed up,” Liv explained as she caressed his cheek. “Lawson, those men need medical attention.”

  “Probably, but shifters don’t trust human hospitals. We take care of our own. If we can get them to wake up and shift, they’ll be fine,” Lawson replied as he rubbed circles on her back.

  Liv recalled after Lawson was shot. He stayed in wolf form until his body healed. The speed at which his body recovered was miraculous. She’d never seen anything like it.

  “So what happened at PRL?” she asked even though she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer. Lawson and Devin appeared unscathed, but that didn’t mean there weren’t casualties.

  His jaw clenched, and he swallowed thickly. “I failed them, Liv,” he gritted out.

  “Who? Blade and Slate? No, you saved them,” she reminded him and turned his face with her palm, forcing him to meet her gaze. “You didn’t fail them.”

  “No, not them. The others. They were already dead when we arrived. Liv, there was ten wolves piled in a heap on the floor. Like they were garbage,” he spat.

  Liv sucked in a breath. She couldn’t imagine treating people in such a way. It was appalling to think she once worked for that company.

  “I’m so sorry. I thought for sure once Jim was out of the picture, the heinous treatment would end. Apparently, I was wrong,” she admitted.

  “Liv, I’m done playing nice. This has to stop today,” Lawson announced and reached into his front pocket. He pulled out his cell phone and pressed the screen then placed the phone to his ear.

  “Who are you calling?” she whispered.

  “Bart, this is Lawson. You need to know what just went down,” he barked into the speaker.

  Liv listened as he relayed what happened at PRL. He mentioned the man and woman, saying that it was Jim Jensen’s wife. When he was finished talking, Liv could hear Bart talking on the other end.

  And then Lawson’s face turned red, and he blurted, “I’m telling you this because I’m through with humans treating my kind like animals. You’re the fucking governor, and you better do something about this. Otherwise, I’m taking matters into my own hands. I promise you don’t want bloodshed on your watch. Do your fucking job,” he spat then hung up.

  Liv’s eyes bulged. She was at a loss for words. She didn’t expect him to call Bart and certainly didn’t think he would threaten him. Her stomach turned, and her mouth went dry. Was Lawson declaring war against humans?

  If so, where did that leave them?

  Chapter Eleven

  Lawson shoved his phone back into his pocket and reached up, yanking his hair. Rage boiled beneath his skin, and his wolf growled in his head, urging a shift. Lawson did a mental check to see if the Ravin remained leashed.

  The beast prowled just below the surface of his skin all the fucking time. Lawson’s gut roiled and threatened to vacate his breakfast as realization sunk in that he was one step from full-blown Ravin. Thank the Gods he was still in control of his thoughts and actions, he concluded as he resisted his wolf’s demand.

  He glanced at Liv and instantly noted the horror etched across her face. “What?” he blurted. It was more a demand than a question.

  “What? How can you say that after what I just heard? What exactly is your plan, Lawson, because it sounded like you were threatening Bart, and all humans,” she informed him. Liv’s hands crossed over her chest, and she narrowed her eyes.

  “I was threatening him. I’m done with sitting back and doing nothing while people like Jensen kidnap and torture shifters. Bart needs to step up, or else,” he snapped and pinned her with his gaze. Was she defending that cowardly piece of shit?

  “Or else what? What exactly will you do Lawson?” she countered. Her green eyes were filled with concern and confusion, and he hated to see her look at him with disappointment.

  “I’ll do whatever is necessary. Maybe I’ll start burning down facilities after I search them for shifters. And, if a few humans are accidentally trapped inside…well, let’s just say that should get the media’s attention,” Lawson growled.

  “Please don’t become what you hate. That’s not who you are. It’s certainly not who I fell in love with,” Liv said and reached over, stroking his arm.

  Her touch soothed his anger and calmed his restless soul. Every word she uttered resonated deep inside. He didn’t want innocents to die. And, he sure as hell didn’t want to be in the same category as lowlifes like Jensen. Pulling her close, Lawson wrapped his arms around her waist. She went rigid against his body and looked away.

  He sighed heavily. “You’re right. I don’t want any unnecessary death on my hands. But something has got to change. It’s time for the abuse to end,” he demanded and placed a finger under her chin, forcing her to look at him.

  Green eyes met his and Lawson tilted his head. “Say something,” he urged.

  She smiled slightly. “I agree. This has to stop, but not violently,” she replied. At that moment her phone made kissy noises, alerting her of a text message.

  She reached in her back pocket and looked at the screen. “Bart’s asking if we can be at his house tomorrow morning at ten.”

  “What for?” Lawson asked.

  “Don’t know. It doesn’t say. What do you want me to tell him?”

  “Tell him we’ll be there,” he replied and looked to the sky as dark clouds rushed in, covering the sky above.

  Snow was in the forecast but only a few inches, which shouldn’t cause them any delays. He was still pissed, but Bart was their best chance at rescuing the captive shifters then getting these labs exposed and shut down permanently.

  “Okay, it’s done,” she said, and her eyes darted upward.

  Flurries cascaded to the ground, and the temperature dropped in a matter of seconds. As white flakes stuck in her hair, Liv reminded him of a beautiful Snow Queen. Her fiery green eyes melted his angered heart, and Lawson couldn’t help but stare in awe.

  “What?” she asked and her brows furrowed.

  “Nothing. Let’s get you inside before your thin blood turns to ice,” Lawson teased with a smirk.

  “Are we staying here another night?” she asked as she huddled into her jacket.

  “I don’t want to drive all the way back to Hollow Rock then drive to Chattanooga tomorrow morning. I’m sure the Packards won’t mind. Let’s grab some firewood out of the shed then go inside and check on the others,” he instructed then swatted her ass as she moved ahead of him.

  “Yeah, a fire sounds good. Feels like it’s going to be a cold one,�
�� Liv called over her shoulder and kept walking toward the shed. Her ass swayed to and fro, and Lawson lingered behind, enjoying the view.

  They gathered as much as they could carry then unloaded the logs onto the hearth. Lawson started a fire then they walked down the hall to see how Blade and Slate were doing. Lawson was shocked when he stepped into the small bedroom.

  Blade was awake and talking, albeit slowly, with his dad, and Slate’s eyes were cracked open as he listened to his mom. Lawson glanced over to Devin who shrugged in confusion before he pushed off the wall and walked over.

  “So, how are they?” Lawson muttered under his breath, trying not to interrupt the family’s conversation.

  “I think they’re going to be fine. Just seeing them open their eyes gave me hope. Personally, I think they should shift and let their bodies recover,” Devin offered as he glanced at the males on the bed.

  Lawson walked to the end of the bed and cleared his throat. “Is there anything I can do or get for you? I started a fire so it will be plenty warm here tonight. Would you like me to run to the store and get food for everyone?”

  “Bro, long time, no see,” Blade croaked.

  “Yeah, you look like shit,” Lawson joked.

  “Fuck you,” Blade countered and gave him the middle finger.

  Lawson laughed then looked at Slate. “As soon as you two losers are feeling better, we need to go fishing. Just like old times,” he proposed, and Slate nodded his head.

  “So, how about Liv and I run and grab some grub,” Lawson offered and reached for Liv’s hand.

  “Thank you, but no,” Henry answered. “We’re going to take these two home. Annette has a huge pot of soup on the stove, and we need to get back. All of you are welcome to come with us. There’s plenty of room and food.”

  “I appreciate the offer, but I need to get going,” Devin said. “I’ve got a long drive and want to get back to Safe Haven. See if Knox needs my help,” he added and shared a look with Lawson.